Acura, Honda's luxury marque, has rolled into this year's Detroit Auto Show offering a good glimpse of its reimagined RDX crossover that is coming later in the year. The 2019 RDX Prototype on display features a low, wide stance and styling that borrows heavily from the Precision Concept unveiled in 2016, along with a brand new Android-powered touchpad interface.
Acura says the production 2019 RDX will be the fastest and best-handling version of the popular SUV it has created so far. The five-passenger luxury crossover features a wheelbase 2.5 inches longer and a track 1.2 inches wider than the outgoing model. The wheels are pushed out to the corners and Acura promises a more spacious and sophisticated cabin as a result, fitted out with Nappa leather, brushed aluminum and Olive Ash wood.
Just as the exterior takes its design cues from the Precision Concept with sharper styling, the interior is based on Acura's sporty Precision Cockpit cabin concept also unveiled in 2016. That means a floating center console, a prominently placed dial offering Sport, Sport+, Comfort and Snow drive modes, and the debut of Acura's new True Touchpad interface.
Powered by Android, this consists of 10.2-inch full HD display that works as a touchscreen on its own, but is also mapped to a remote interface so drivers can tinker with things without taking their hands too far from the wheel. If that's not quite working for you, Acura has also introduced a new speech recognition system promised to make voice commands more intuitive.
Power comes from a new 2.0-liter, 16-valve DOHC direct-injected engine said to deliver 40 percent more low-end torque, mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. The 2019 RDX will also come in a variant that includes Acura's new all-wheel-drive tech, which features a redesigned rear differential to offer a 150 percent increase in maximum torque compared to the outgoing model.
All models are topped with an ultra-wide moonroof, feature LED headlamps and exterior lighting and the Precision's diamond pentagon grille. The 2019 RDX will also be the first Acura SUV to sport the company's A-Spec trim that adds interior and exterior sport styling, which is something the company says will be carried onto all core Acura models going forward.
There's no word yet on pricing, but the production version of the 2019 Acura RDX will be ready to roll midway through 2018.
Source: Acura